WENDY WILLIAMS IS IN A TREATMENT FACILITY 'DOING HER BEST TO BE HER BEST,' HER MANAGER SAYS (EXCLUSIVE)
Wendy Williams' manager has some hopeful news for fans of the former TV host. ET spoke with Williams' manager, Will Selby, who confirmed that she is currently in a wellness facility, where she is receiving treatment.
"Wendy is at a facility doing her best to be her best. She's taking it day by day," Selby says of Williams, who has been in and out of health facilities over the past few years. "And that's another thing, too, does anybody even ask like, 'How's she doing? Does anyone even care... I feel like everyone just puts out negative information about her and that's the focus. Why don't we just stop for a moment and just say, 'Hey, how is she? Is she doing OK today?' Why is that not the focus? Why isn't that what we're talking about on a daily basis?"
Williams' rep, Shawn Zanotti, previously refuted claims that the former host had been hospitalized. In May, The Sun reported that the 58-year-old was hospitalized after checking into a medical facility in New York. The outlet had initially reported, citing a source, that Williams was admitted to a hospital and was "released briefly" but "went right back in" just a day later.
Zanotti told ET, "I can confirm that Wendy is not in the hospital, as reported. I can also confirm she is not in New York, as reported."
Sharing a reminder of just how much Williams has gone through over the years -- the end of her long-running television show, her battles with Graves' disease and lymphedema -- Selby asked for critics and fans to show the beloved TV personality some compassion.
"Just understand that she's a human being that's going through a lot. She's dealing with a lot and support her, please," Selby says.
While her primary focus is her health, Williams is also looking ahead to the future and the next chapter of her life.
"She's only thinking about things that she wants to do in her life," Selby shares. "She's only thinking about Wendy 2.0 and her new chapter of her life, and the things that she wants to accomplish, and that's our focus."
Selby also addressed concerns raised by Williams' son, Kevin Hunter Jr., who gave an interview to The U.S. Sun on Tuesday, in which he shared how he believes his mother's team is taking advantage of her wealth amid her alleged battle with alcoholism, which he said does not allow her to make sound decisions.
According to the article, the 22-year-old student was being financially supported by his mother but lost a large part of that support when her financial affairs were taken over by a guardian in May 2022.
"Taking advantage of her for what? To get what? To do what? I'm not here to brag, but I was doing just OK before Wendy came along and I insisted on helping her because she requested my assistance," Selby tells ET.
Breaking down Williams' court-appointed guardianship, Selby asserted that there is no way Williams could be taken advantage of by her team, or anyone else for that matter.
"Wendy is under a guardianship. Everything that she does gets approved by the guardianship. A court-appointed guardianship. So, no one, even if they wanted to take advantage of her -- everything has to get approved by that court," he says. "So, any type of business dealings that we do, Wendy, myself and anyone -- we have to get the guardianship to sign off on it. So how can anyone take advantage of her?"
Zanotti echoed a similar sentiment about the interview, adding, "This publication has released false narratives with the intent to release stories without fully vetting information, which is a disadvantage to the public, and is unprofessional and unethical. We ask that the world continues to pray for the well-being of Wendy as she continues to recover from a very traumatic two years."
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